


Rewind

by GDFMFB



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Bad Ideas, Childhood, Childhood Memories, Confused cisco, Family Drama, Family Issues, Father-Son Relationship, Head Injury, Headaches & Migraines, If You Squint - Freeform, Light Spanking, Nightmares, Pain, Poor Cisco, barely
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-25
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-08-24 14:12:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 6,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8375266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GDFMFB/pseuds/GDFMFB
Summary: When an invention of Cisco's causes a brain injury. Team flash is left to take care of a 23 year old with the emotional stability and logistical understanding of a 5 year old.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Its not very good, but its something ive had in my head for a long time. I hope you enjoy.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An accident temporarily changes a friend.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Caitlin, Joe, and Barry were currently staring at Cisco and Harry as they tried to fit a device filled with electrical wires onto Cisco's head.  
"No-" Harry started to say something but an excited Cisco interupted him.  
"Absolutly! Here look!" He then proceeded to explain how the device should allow other people around him to see what he's vibing. They went through the motions and were soon ready to test it.  
"Let's do this" Cisco cued, slipping his vibe glasses on. Harry turned on the device and immidiatly ran to where Caitlin, Barry, and Joe were, farther off. For a moment the room was filled with a blue hugh and the device seemed to be working. Then suddenly there was a spark of electricity from the device and Cisco yelled in pain.  
"CISCO!" Caitlin yelled in panic as Barry ran and yanked the device off the now unconcious young man's head. Barry ran him to Caitlin's medical lab while everyone else quickly followed.  
"I told him this was stupid," harry growled through his teeth.  
"Then maybe you shouldn't have helped him!" Joe yelled. Everyone was feeling paniced and over whelmed, but no one more than Caitlyn.  
"EVERYBODY GET OUT" she yelled. Everyone froze. "I need quiet and space. Please just let me help him." Caitlyn was close to tears but she knew she had to be strong for her best friend. Soon everyone left to the main entrance area to wait for news on Cisco.

Caitlin walked out of her lab two hours later looking emotionaly spent. Joe, Harry, Barry, and now Iris watched her aproach, waiting for her to speak.  
"He's ok, sort of," Caitlyn said after thinking for a moment.  
"What does "sort of" mean?" Joe asked the question no one else wanted to.  
"Well all his vitals are normal and he has no physical injuries except..." Caitlin paused for a moment trying to figure out how she could explain this strange mishap. "Except parts of his brain were effected. Um the electric signals aren't working how they should for his age, but fortunatly I can already tell it's trying to heal itself so it won't be perminant." Everyone stood stunned for a moment, taking in the information.  
"What part of his brain, Caitlin?" Iris questioned. Caitlin sighed.  
"Um emotions and emotional control, logic and common sense type stuff. Um basically we're dealing with a five year old in a 23 year old's body with Cisco's memories and intelect."  There wasn't much of a chance for anyone to have a response to that before they heard Cisco become concious.  
"Caitlin? Barry?" Barry ran, the others behind him, to find Cisco sitting on the edge of the exam bed.  
"How do you feel Cisco?" Barry asked cautiosly.  
"Like my head was hit by a train, but other than that just peachy" Caitlin handed Cisco some asprin while the others gave each other confused looks. Cisco didn't seem any different.  
"So I'm guessing the experiment failed?" Cisco interupted everyone's thoughts.  
"That would be an under statement," Harry chukled.  
"Right," Cisco stood up and smiled. "Well, better look into what went wrong so we can try again." He started to walk out of Caitlin's lab when Joe put a hand on his shoulder.  
"Does that really seem like a good idea, Cisco?" There was a pause as Cisco didn't answer right away.  
"I don't know." He said matter of factly. And there it was. The first sign of change.  
"Well It's not, so how about everyone comes to the West-Allen house and we order pizza?" Joe offers noticing the change as well as everyone else.  
"But I want to fix it," Cisco said quietly. Joe sighed. Having raised kids he recognized this as the calm before the storm. There is usually a way to avoid the storm, but he'd never seen Cisco lose his temper as an adult let alone could know how to deal with him when he wasn't thinking like one.  
"C,mon Cisco," Joe tried cautiously.  
"But I said I want to fix it." Cisco replied a little more forcefully.  
"Unfortunatly that's not an option, Ramon. Grab your coat," evidently Harry didn't think there was a reason to be cautious. There was a moment of pause before things took a turn.  
"I SAID I WANNA FIX IT!" Cisco screamed jumping up and down to accent his words. He then proceeded to scream and sob repeating the fraze as he put his fists in his eyes.The group just stood in aw. How were they suppose to calm down a 23 year old man having a tantrum like a five year old? The display continued until Joe decided he would just have to treat Cisco like a child right now.  
"Cisco," he tried to get his attention calmly, to no avail.  
"Cisco!" Still no response.  
"FRANCISCO RAMON," a small gasp was heard from the small man and suddenly everything went quiet. Cisco was looking up at him with watery eyes. Seeing the kid act like this made him look more like just that, a kid. Never had Joe noticed the stature differance between Cisco and everyone else as much as he did now.  
"Stop this Cisco," Joe said calmly holding Cisco by his shoulders, "go grab your coat and get ready to leave, it is not a choice,"  
"You ca-" Cisco hiccuped, "I-I'm an adult."  
"Your not acting like one right now." It looked like Cisco was about to argue until Barry suddenly apeared next to him with his coat. Cisco begrudgingly took it and walked out of the lab with his friends, albeight sporting a pouty face the whole way while Harry could be heard in the background turning down Joe's invitation. When they entered the parking lot Joe stopped and put a hand on Cisco's shoulder.  
"Okay, kid, I don't think you should drive right after getting zapped like that, so we'll just leave your car here tonight ok?" Joe asked him while purposefully leaving out the details of his head injury. Cisco just blinked at him.  
"Umm... I don't drive anymore, Joe. I mean, what if I vibed while on the road?"  
"Oh. never mind then," Joe responded thoughtfully. But it went unheard as Cisco ran, smiling, towards  Caitlyn's car yelling "SHOTGUN," as she waited for him. Joe chuckled and Caitlyn rolled her eyes as Barry appeared in the seat and gave Cisco an innocent look. Normally this kind of joke would have made Cisco laugh, but nothing about today had been normal for him.  
"No fair," Cisco whined stomping his foot. "I called it and-and you can run there faster than the car."  
"Hey, hey it's ok I was just joking," Barry jumped out of the car as tears started to form in Cisco's eyes.  
"Oh," he mumbled, "ok." At that moment it became clear that things were going to have to be different for a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I know we've seen Cisco drive on the show. But that was early on before he started vibing. I have epilepsy and my seizures are like his vibes only without the super power part. They're called Absence Seizures, if you want to look them up. So I figured maybe he wouldn't drive anymore, cause it could be dangerous.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew learns they might only now be starting to get to know Cisco.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, more soon.

When Caitlyn pulled into the West-Allen driveway they were the last to arrive. She noticed immidiatly that there was an extra car that haddened been at STAR and that Joe was waiting for them on the porch. When they got up there Joe said he just wanted to talk to Caitlyn so Cisco went inside.  
"Wally's home," Joe said as soon as Cisco was out of hearing range.  
"Yeah," Caitlin noted "how are we going to explain Cisco acting so differently?"  
"We told him there was an accident at the lab and something heavy fell and hit Cisco in the head," Joe explained, "Barry added some more sciency words and we basically just told him he has a serious brain injury."  
"So almost the truth."  
"Yeah, almost." Joe and Caitlin turned towards the door as Iris poked her head out.  
"We're ordering the pizzas, do you guys want anything different from usual?" They both shook their heads and followed Iris inside.  
Later, everyone is eating pizza and watching a movie. Cisco, Iris, and Barry are on the center couch in that order, Joe is sitting in the chair on the left, and  Wally and Caitlin are on the loveseat on the right. Cisco is upside down with his feet over the back of the couch. His plate of pepporoni and sausage pizza is on the floor as he seperates the pepporoni from the rest of the slices. Iris doesn't mind him being upside down, but he's been picking at his pizza for a while, now.  
"I thought you liked pepperoni, Cisco." Her words bring attention to what he's doing and the way he's sitting and the boys in the room have to stifle laughter as Caitlyn just raises an eyebrow. In all the time she's known her friend he has always become a muted version of himself whenever in someone else's home. He  always told her it's because he just doesn't feel comfortable.  
"No," Cisco informed, "I just never wanted to say anything cause I didn't wanna be rude." Everyone gave each other a look that said "add no filter to the list of symptoms."  
Cisco's eyes got wide at the realization that he had said his thoughts out loud, but before he could reconcile he was interupted.  
"Why didn't you ever just tell us you didn't like it?" Wally suddenly asked. There was a long pause where Cisco didn't respond. Then he tucked his legs in, turned right side up and looked at Wally.  
"I didn't wanna be selfish and make anybody mad," he replied looking guilty and sounding younger, "sorry." Cisco picked up his plate and began placing the pepperoni back on the pizza.  
"Cisco your fine, that's not selfish," Joe looked incredulous, "Why do you think we always ask everyone what they want on the pizza? Just eat it how you like." Cisco grinned and began his previous process over again as everyone slowly went back to watching the movie. In the back of their minds they realized Cisco never really talked about himself much and they began to question just how much they truly knew about their friend.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Joe learn another distressing fact about Cisco.

At around 9pm Caitlin decided she should head home, but when Cisco stood up to go with and get a ride to his home everyone paused.  
"I don't think being home by yourself is a good idea right now," Iris spoke first.  
"Why not?" Cisco questioned.  
"Someone should watch for concussion symptoms right?" Wally asked, "and wake you up every few hours?"  
"I don't have a concussion. That would mean my head got HIT by something," Cisco explained. Luckily Wally just waved it off as Cisco's brain injury getting the best of him.  
"We don't feel comfortable leaving you alone after what happened in the lab today," Joe tried, "why don't you just sleep here tonight?"  
"You've left me alone after worse things!" Cisco snapped, "I think I'll be fine after a bad lab test!... W-where's Caitlin?" Unfortunatly for him Caitlin took the arguing as a good time to slip out without incident. When Cisco realized this his eyes began to well with tears and he began to wimper.  
"It's okay Cisco. This is just the safest choice right now." Barry tried to reasure while Joe just waited to see if things would get worse and Wally stood in utter confusion and shock.  
"I wanna go home," Cisco mumbled.  
"Would you rather sleep in my room or down here on the couch?" Barry asked trying to stear the conversation.  
"C-couch,"  
"Alright,"  
After that things went smoothly to Joe's surprise. That is until he was woken up by a scream at two in the morning. He recognized it as Cisco, grabbed his gun and ran downstairs, prepared to face an intruder of some sort. When he got down there Barry was already there. There was no intruder, just Cisco sobbing into Barry's chest.   
"What happened?" Joe asked.  
"Bad vibe in his sleep, says it happens almost every night," Barry replied sounding very distraught.  
"I'm sorry" Cisco sniffed, "I didn't want to wake you. I told I should have gone home."  
"You are perfectly fine, Cisco" Joe sighed. "No harm done, but try and go back to sleep," he was content when he saw Cisco and Barry nod as he walked back up the stairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's so short. I'm trying to split up what I already written, while writing more at the same time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cisco may not be mature enough to be in his lab anymore.

The next day found Harry, Cisco, and Barry as the only ones at star labs. Harry and Cisco were working in Cisco's lab. Harry was working on an equation that had popped into his head and Cisco was working on a new project, thank heavens. Things were going perfectly normal, until Cisco got bored. Harry roled his eyes, but continued working, as he caught a glimps of Cisco spinning in his chair. It wasn't too far from normal for him to do something like that. Unfortunatly, soon spinning evolved into sliding back and forth across the lab. Harry didn't notice this until a loud crash was heard followed swiftly by an "aw crap."   
Harry turned around to see Cisco on his chair looking down at a bunch of fallen tools and tech.  
"What on earth are you doing?" Harry deadpans. Cisco just shrugs.  
"I'm bored."  
"Well now you have something to do, congratulations," Harry pointed to the mess before turning back to the wipe off board. Things went back to calm for all of ten minutes before Harry started hearing a loud repetetive noise. PING PING PING PING PING.  
He slowly turned around prepared to voice his annoyance only to be dumbfounded. Cisco sat on the floor with a staple gun, shooting the heavy duty staples at the wall from a distance.  
"What the hell is wrong with you!" Harry yelled. Then, though,  he remembered exactly what was wrong with Cisco. Right, he currently had the logic and common sense of a five year old and right now, a bored five year old in the presance of dangerous equipment. He looked down at Cisco who had froze, trying to figure out how to explain himself. Harry took a breath and went into father mode as best he could. Jesse was an adult now, it had been a while.  
"Give me the staple gun, Ramon," Harry said calmly holding his hand out. There was a pause and a face of confusion before a brisk infuriating answer.  
"No." Well now what was he suppose to do. Normaly this would be the point where you over power the child and take it anyway, but Ramon was a grown adult it was not that simple. Harry decided he'd just have to wing it.  
"Give it to me, now." Harry reached for the staple  gun but Cisco stood up and pulled away.  
"I heard what you said, and I said No." Harry lunged at Cisco but wasn't fast enough as Cisco ran out of the lab. Their chase led out of the cortex and into the main entrance where Harry finally got a hold of Cisco by the arm, though it ended with a struggle that caused them to be kneeling on floor. Cisco held the staple gun in his other hand as far away from Harry as possible.  
"Stop! It's mine!" Cisco whined.  
"What's hapenning," Barry asked as he appeared, but all Harry had to do was nod towards the staple gun and Barry had a pretty good guess. He swiftly took the gun from Cisco before he knew what was happening.  
"Give it back! It's mine!" Cisco repeated as Harrry let his arm go.  
"We are well aware it is yours, Ramon, but you aparently are not in the right mindset to be trusted with it. Perhaps to be in your lab at all." THAT set Cisco off.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Truth and tantrums

He gave the two a lost look before throwing himself forward onto the ground, folding his" arms under is his face and started screaming and sobbing into the floor. "NO NO NO! YOU CAN'T KEEP ME OUT OF MY LAB! THAT'S NOT FAIR!" Suddenly he started yelling something neither Barry or Harry were expecting.  
"WHAT HAPPENED TO ME?" the two looked at each other wide eyed for a moment, but couldn't figure out an answer before Cisco continued. "I - I CAN'T CONTROL M - MY EMOTIONS! I CAN'T TH-THINK RIGHT! IT HURTS ME! IT HURTS!"  
"Whoa whoa what hurts you, Cisco?" Barry asked rushing to his friend's side that Harry wasn't on and laying a comforting hand on his back.  
"MY VIBES!" Cisco yelled before falling into complete histerics. Those two words revealed a lot about their friend. Has he been keeping in his emotions in fear of his powers? If so, then how often has he been upset, hurt, sad, or needed help through out everything that has happened these past few years? Harry and Barry just looked at each other with out any clue on what to do or say. They stayed like this for a while and soon it seemed like Cisco was almost completly calmed down. It actually appeared like he was going to fall asleep right there on the floor. When Caitlin walked in carrying some bags.  
"Hi... is he asleep?" She asked quietly to the two sitting by Cisco.  
"May as well be," Harry responded, standing up. Caitlin set the bags down on the computer desk and began taking stuff out of them.  
"I got him some 3d puzzles, models, and other stuff to keep him entertained when he inevitably gets bored. They're as close to his level as these things come so hopefully they work."  
"Where were you half an hour ago?" Harry's sarcastic comment went ignored.  
"Why so much?" Barry asks as he too stood up leaving a tired Cisco lying on the floor.  
"Well I want to keep him distracted cause I don't think we should let him go in his lab until he's healed." Harry and Barry barely had time time to give each other a paniced look before Cisco started scream-sobbing once again.  
"Oh my gosh Cisco! What's wrong!" Caitlin looked paniced and took a step towards him before a hand on her shoulder stopped her.  
"We already told him that he probably shouldn't go in his lab and he was almost calmed down from it," Barry winced.  
"I am so sorry," Caitlin replied before grabbing a 3d globe puzzle and taking it towards Cisco in hopes to calm him down once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my last pre-written chapter so they're gonna come slightly slower now. Hope you enjoy.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Barry is a dick and Caitlin turns into a momma bear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating has been changed from general audiences to teen because of language.

Fortunatly the puzzle distracted Cisco, unfortunatly it was only for about ten minutes. Turned out he no longer had enough patience for something that could be easily knocked over, so after the 5th time pieces fell off he got frustrated and gave up.  
"This is stupid, I want to go in my lab and finish adjusting my gauntlets," Cisco spoke to Caitlin as he sat next to her at the computers. Caitlin felt bad, especially since he seemed in his right mind now, but she knew he wasn't healed yet and one wrong move could cause his mind to regress again and it wasn't worth the risk.  
"I know, Cisco, but-" Caitlin started to say something but was cut off by the alert system. Caitlin and Cisco both jumped as Barry flashed into room.  
"What's going on?" He asked Cisco who was already on the computers searching for what caused the alert.  
"High consentration of heat at the central city bank, looks like more than just a fire," Nothing more could be said as Barry zipped to the seen of the crime. What barry saw when he got there was a building full of lava.  
"Can you detect any people in there Cisco?"  
"Only one, but it seems to be where the lava is coming from." Caitlin was surprised at how calmly Cisco was helping. It was just like normal.  
A ball of heat flew past Barry's face. He looked up to be faced with a man shaped Lava rock.  
"Good luck Flash even if you could get to me, you can't touch me!" With that the man threw more lava that Barry had to dodge.  
"CISCO HOW DO I GET PAST LAVA?"  
"Um I'm working on it, there should be a way around it, just hold on." Before Barry could respond the meta human ran to the back of the bank.  
"CISCO HURRY UP!" Barry yelled as he ran out of the building to see if he could get to the meta from the other side.  
"I'm- I'm trying!" Caitlin looked at Cisco and noticed he had tears welling up in his eyes. Barry was being to harsh and it wasn't going get him any good kind of result.  
Barry stopped on the other side of the building, only to see the meta fly out the top and away from the seen.  
"He got away," Barry let out a frusterated huff. Barry was too busy running back to the lab wallowing in his defeat to hear Cisco's whimper, but Caitlin heard it.  
"Cisco it's okay we'll get him next time,"  
"B-Barry's gonna be mad at m-me," he sobbed pulling Caitlin in so he could cry into her shoulder.  
"Ssshhh, no he won't. It's not your fault," at that moment Barry rushed into the room. He took in the scene and apparently decided not to think before he spoke.  
"What's his problem?" Joe and Iris entered the room just in time to see Caitlin ream him.  
"What's your's?!" She started, "Barry I don't care how your day went, I don't care how frusterated you were, there is nothing that possibly should make you think you could just yell at him and demand impossible things! He may know a lot about your powers, he may have made your suit, and he may be able to open portals to other earths, but HOW THE FUCK IS HE SUPPOSED TO KNOW HOW YOU GET AROUND LAVA ONLY YOU CAN SEE! All we have down here is heat signatures, Barry! And it wouldn't even matter if we had more because, no matter what, you have no right to yell at him like that!"  
Everyone stood stunned as Caitlin guided Cisco, who was still holding onto her, to her lab.  
"Think about that," she said finally as she shut the door behind them. It was silent for another moment until Joe broke it.  
"Damn,"


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Of vibes and migraines.

"What did you do?" Iris asked.  
"I-I don't know," Barry replied.  
"Ok that's bullshit, there is no way Caitlin would act like that if you didn't do something very wrong,"  
"I guess I was in a hurry and Cisco wasn't giving me answers fast enough so I may have gotten a little frusterated,"  
"Barry, going off what Caitlin said, you can't yell at him like that." Joe added, "even if he was in his right mind and could take it, he shouldn't have to. And being in the state he is now there is no way he wasn't going get emotional."  
"You're right I should-" before Barry could finish his sentence a yell and very loud crying was heard from Caitlin's lab. Barry, Joe, and Iris rushed in and saw Cisco sitting on the make shift medical holding his head and bawling his eyes out. Caitlin tried to sooth him while simultaneously looking for something.  
"What's going on?" Iris yelled over Cisco while running over to help Caitlin sooth him. She began running her hand through his hair, but he didn't seem to notice.  
"I don't know!" Caitlin let go of Cisco and started digging around the room. "I think he vibed but then he just grabbed his head and started screaming." She finally found what she was looking for, which turned out to be a syringe and she inserted its contents into Cisco's arm. Again he didn't seem to notice. After a moment he quieted down a bit and began to relax into Iris's touch.  
"What'd you give him?" Iris asked while continuing to rub his hair.  
"A sedative, he should fall asleep soon, which is better than whatever pain he was going through." Sure enough Cisco became limp on Iris's shoulder so Barry helped her lower him down so he was lying on the cot.  
"What was that?" Suddenly everyone realized Harry was leaning in the door way.  
"The only thing I can think of is his migraines, but he's never acted like that before," Caitlin answered the question.  
"Migraines?" Joe asked.  
"Yeah, sometimes, well almost always after he vibes without his goggles he gets a migraine, but he told me they weren't bad enough for him to not power through,"  
"Maybe he fakes it," Iris suddenly said.  
"What?" Caitlin didn't quite know what she meant.  
"I'm just saying maybe, he acts tough so you don't worry, but he can't control the way he feels enough to hide the pain right now." Everyone stood in silence. No one wanted to believe that their friend felt like he needed to hide how he felt, but they also knew it was the most logical explanation at the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so y'all know I'm basing a lot of this off how in the comics Vibe's powers cause him a lot of pain in various ways. The symptoms I am using are from the comics, but mostly grouped together into one or two symptoms. Like how colors, lights, and sounds are too much to handle and he has constant headaches. I grouped that into chronic migraines instead of them being seperate continuous problems he deals with.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cat's out of the bag.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really short but important chapter

When Cisco woke up he was alone. Normaly this wouldn't be a problem, he knows his friends wouldn't just leave him alone in the lab, and they're probably just in another room. But the irrational side of his brain that seemed to be winning lately, and he hated it, kept telling him that "no, they're not here. You're alone." Which also wouldn't be a problem. He would be a little upset, but not enough to show it. But he started feeling a lump in his throat that he had felt far too often lately. He tried to keep it at bay as his eyes began to water. NO, he was not going to cry again. He was not a child. He sat on the cot as tears rolled down his face and he took shuttering breathes trying to keep quite so no one would see him cry again, but Harry walked in to check on him for Caitlin and that plan was ruined.  
"Whats wrong, Ramon?" Harry asked sounding impatient while standing next to him but not touching him.  
"Nothing," Cisco covered his eyes with his arm as if that would stop Harry from knowing he was crying.  
"Than why are you crying?"  
"It's stupid, I'm being stupid."  
"It's not your fault." Harry sighed still sounding like he didn't want to have this convorsation.  
"Yes it is, I-I can't control myself and I've been acting like a child, and the worst part is I don't know why." Cisco started to sob. Harry sighed again.  
"It's because you zapped your brain, Ramon," Harry let the cat out of the bag.  
"W-what," Cisco looked at Harry from under his arm and his crying slowed to sniffles.  
"When your vibe invention thing zapped your head it screwed you up. It's healing slowly, but your gonna have the emotional control of a five year old for a while."  
"Th-that's not fair." Cisco squeaked.  
"It is what it is, I'm gonna send Caitlin in to explain. I don't want to deal with this." And with that he left a stunned teary eyed Cisco alone again.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cisco is bored but Iris just wants to work

Harry walked out of the make shift ER and headed down to the cortex where everyone was gathered.  
"He's awake," Harry spoke to no one in particular. The four looked at him, just registering he had entered the room.  
"How is he?" Caitlin asked prepared to head up and check on him herself.  
"Not sure, but he wanted to know what happened to him. So I told him."  
"What are you talking about?" Barry asked.  
"He was freaking out, so I let slip about his brain injury. Don't know why we didn't tell him in the first place." Harry responded nonchalantly. There was a pause before all hell broke lose.  
Cisco sat on the cot listening as he heard angry voices yelling at each other and slowly getting louder. He only made out a few words like "in his condition" "ability to understand" and "underestimating your friend." Suddenly the voices stopped and Caitlin and Barry stepped into the room, but he caught a glimps of Joe, Iris, and Harry in the main room before the door closed behind them. No one spoke for a long moment.  
"Why wouldn't you just tell me I was injured?" Cisco spoke suddenly, braking the silence. Caitlin and Barry looked at each other before Caitlin spoke.  
"We didn't really formaly decide. I guess we all just kind of weren't sure how you'd handle the information." There was another long pause before anyone spoke again.  
"There was no reason for that," Cisco said.  
"You're right and we're sorry," Barry agreed. Another moment of silence.  
"Okay."  
"Okay?" Caitlin questioned.  
"Okay." With that last word Cisco got up and left the room to join the others. Caitlin and Barry looked at each other, stunned by how easy that conversation had gone.  
A half an later hour all seemed normal in STAR. Joe had gone to the CCPD. Harry was off somewhere, probably in Cisco's lab working on something. Caitlin was looking at recent brain scans from Cisco to see if she could predict how long the healing process would take and Barry was with her. Cisco was working on a computer in the main area, and Iris was out there with him studying notes for a news story. It was peaceful. That is, Until a pencil flew through the air and hit Iris in the head.  
"Ow! What the-" Iris's expression of shock was cut off by a flurry of giggles. She looked up to see Cisco facing her and trying to stifel laughter.  
"Did you just throw a pencil at me?" Iris asked in aw. Cisco went straight faced.  
"No," and he turned back to the computer, just like that. Iris shook her head but saw no reason to say anything else if he wasn't going to do it again. Except a few minutes later a pen ended up infront of her on her notebook, followed by more laughter.  
"Stop it, Cisco," she stated without looking up from her work. The only answer she received was another projectile and more laughter. She let out an impatient sigh and turned to him.  
"Cisco, we don't throw things at people," It didn't get the result she wanted and okay maybe she deserved that one for being condescending, but she was trying to work and he was really starting to piss her off. She said the next thing that came to her mind.  
"I swear to god, Cisco, if you do that one more time you will be standing in a corner," He was acting like a child, what else could she do?  
"I'm an adult, Iris, remember?" Cisco scoffed, and whatever atleast he didn't throw anything this time, until he did. Iris jumped out of her chair before Cisco could react and grabbed him by an arm, probably a little roughly, but hey she was mad. Cisco verbally and physically protested as Iris dragged him to the nearest corner. Barry ran into the room, followed by Caitlin after hearing the commotion only to see Iris holding Cisco so he was facing the wall.  
"If you leave this spot before I say you can, Cisco, you will regret it. Got it?" The threat was empty and of course Cisco knew her well enough to know that, but he wasn't going to risk it. She could be scary when she wanted to be. Cisco didn't move once she let him go and walked away.  
"Oh my gosh, what did he do?," Barry asked, while obviously trying to hold back laughter.  
"Used me for target practice," Iris replied pointing to the area where she had been seated that now had pencils, pens, and other projectiles scattered around it. Caitlin just shook her head and walked back into her lab. Barry zipped around and cleaned up Cisco's mess for Iris, just as Joe entered the lab. He looked around at Barry and Iris sitting at the computers and then to Cisco in the corner.  
"Umm, what's going on?"  
"I'm finishing up a report, Barry's keeping me company, Caitlin's in her lab, no idea where Harry is." Iris answered. Barry laughed at the complete disregard for the oddity in the room.  
"And Cisco?" Joe pressed.  
"Was being a brat,"  
"Ookaay," The three looked up as they heard a sniffle come from said brat. Oh crap, Iris hadn't meant to make him cry, she just wanted to get her work done in peace.  
"Okay, Cisco you can come back," Cisco walked back over to them. Iris didn't see any tears, but he wiped his nose on his sweater sleeve before sitting back down at the computer he had been working on and went back to work. He seemed to have learned his lesson but just in case Iris grabbed the cup of writing utencils and moved it towards her side of the desks; Barry snickered.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tantrums and tempers

Things went fine after that, except Cisco kept sniffling while working. Joe, Barry, and Iris would look over ever now and again, wondering why he hadn't calmed down yet. Eventually Caitlyn came out holding some papers.  
"Okay, Cisco, I think I have a rough estimation on when you might be fully healed." This caught everyone's attention and all eyes were on her.  
"That's great. What'd you come up with?" Joe asked.  
"About two weeks."  
"I guess it's better than anything longer," Cisco mumbled. The other three on the other hand let out sighs.  
"And It's only been a day," Barry commented. Cisco gave them a questioning look, sniffling again.  
"Aw Cisco he didn't mean-" Iris was cut off by cough and everyone realized his sniffling had nothing to do with what they thought. Well that was good to know, sort of.  
"Cisco, are you feeling okay?" Caitlin asked.  
"Yeah, but I think I'm getting a cold," he replied, "not a big deal."  
"If you say so," Joe said giving Cisco a weary look while tossing him and Barry their coats "Wally's waiting on us for dinner. We gotta go."  
"See you there." Barry smirked and sped off. Joe just rolled his eyes and shook his head. He turned to Cisco only to see his coat on the floor and his focus back on the computer.  
"Cisco," Caitlyn put her hand on his shoulder to get his attention. "Joe's got to go and you need to go with him," Cisco shook his head but kept his eyes on his work.  
"I have to finish this. I can take the bus to thier house"  
"It's too late for the bus, Cisco. Let's go." Joe went to pull Cisco's chair away from the desk, but suddenly Cisco stood up and looked up into his eyes.  
"Then I'll walk, like I always do when it's too late. But i'm. not. Leaving. Yet."  
 There was a pause.  
Then suddenly Cisco's feet weren't on the floor anymore. Caitlyn watched as Joe grabbed the smaller man and hoisted over his shoulder. She gave Joe, Cisco's jacket and turned lights off as she followed him out. Angry yells of "put me down" "you can't do this" and pounding of fists on back could be heard but were ignored.  
"Goodnight Joe," Caitlyn voiced as she parted from them to her car.  
"Goodnight Caitlyn," Joe replied. As he watched caitlyn drive away he felt a painful kick to his gut. Joe crumpled holding his stomach and dropping Cisco. Cisco fell to the ground with wide eyes. Joe didn't think he just acted. Cisco yelped as Joe grabbed him roughly by the arm and smacked his bottom, pushing him into the back seat.  
Joe took a second to calm himself before getting into the car. he put his hand to his stomach, there was sure some force to that kick. There was definitely going to be a bruise. Then Joe thought about how rough he had just been with Cisco. He didn't know what came over him. Joe didn't like using physical confrontation if he didn't have to and had never ever spanked either of his children. He sighed opening the door to sit behind the wheel. He looked back at Cisco and saw him buckled, looking at the floor. His hair was covering his face and he had a hand on his arm where Joe had grabbed him.  
"I'm really sorry, Cisco" Joe stated "I don't know what came over me." He watched for a reaction and was sure he was being ignored until Cisco finally shrugged.  
"I shoudn't a' kicked you," then he added slowly "s'okay."  
Joe sighed "no it's not okay and it won't happen again." Cisco just shrugged again in response. Joe had never seen Cisco so subdoed. He'd have to see if Barry or Caitlyn knew anything more about Cisco's childhood, they were best friends after all. The ride home was silent except for some coughs and sniffles from the backseat.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave any comments! I would love to know what you guys think! :)


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